President of Provisional Sinn Fein (the political wing of the Irish Republican Army) from 1978. He was elected member of Parliament for Belfast West 1983 but declined to take up his Westminster seat, stating that he did not believe in the British government; he lost his seat to a Social Democratic Labour Party candidate 1992. In Aug 1994, after initial doubts about his ability to influence the IRA, Adams announced a "complete cessation of military operations". Adams was interned in the 1970s because of his connections with the IRA, but later released. He was criticised for failing to denounce IRA violence. In 1993 it was revealed that he had held talks about a possible political solution with the leader of the Social Democratic Labour Party, John Hume. Following the IRA cease-fire 1994, the British government removed all restrictions on Adams' public appearances and freedom to travel to the UK (in force since 1988). His unwillingness to decommission IRA arms prior to full British troop withdrawal from Northern Ireland led to a delay in the start of all-party peace talks 1995.
